1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a touch input apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a touch input apparatus and method in a user terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of display devices have been recently developed and, user interface technologies for allowing a user to more conveniently use the display device have been applied.
Particularly, terminals equipped with a touch screen capable of performing both a display function and an input function recently have gained a lot of popularity, and accordingly, user interfaces of various touch types are now installed in terminals. A terminal equipped with the touch screen may include, for example, an electronic organizer, a mobile phone, a PDA, a TV, a notebook computer, a netbook, a desktop computer and the like, and a terminal requiring the display function and input function also has the touch screen in many cases. Such a touch user interface technology has been continuously developed and is implemented in such a manner that particular actions and functions are achieved by analyzing a motion of a finger.
The touch user interface technology is applied to a lot of functions and applications, and a representative example of the touch user interface technology corresponds to performing a drawing operation according to a touch input on the touch screen by the user.
When the drawing operation is performed according to the touch input by the user, a screen touch by the user is made on the touch screen and a touch movement is made according to a shape intended by the user, a letter, and a drawing, and accordingly, the drawing operation is performed.
That is, in conventional touch input apparatuses, when the user performs a touch input, the conventional touch input apparatus detects the touch input, determines an action of the user, and samples points according to a touch movement of the user. Further, the touch input apparatus provides the sampled points to a drawing processing apparatus to allow a drawing operation to be performed, and accordingly, a drawing by the screen touch is drawn.
In the conventional touch input apparatus, when the drawing operation is performed, a drawing can be drawn after the corresponding drawing is enlarged to perform a more precise drawing operation. However, for the enlargement, the user must press a separate button or enter a separate enlargement mode by performing a menu selection, which inconveniences the user. Further, when the user performs the drawing operation after enlarging the drawing, distortion may occur due to a difference in an enlargement magnification between the drawings before and after the enlargement.
Meanwhile, when the drawing operation is performed after the user moves (rotates) or reduces the corresponding drawing while performing the drawing operation, or when the user performs the drawing operation after the enlargement, the user must press a separate button or perform a menu selection to enter a corresponding mode, which inconveniences the user.